Children in 4 Nangarhar districts may miss polio drops

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Local health officials on Monday said insecurity and other problems might prevent polio workers from administering polio drops to thousands of children in four districts of eastern Nangarhar province.

The concern was expressed at the launch of a five-day anti-polio campaign in Nangarhar’s capital Jalalabad.

Dr. Ali Gul Intizar, an official at the provincial public health department, told Pajhwok Afghan News that 694,185 children under five years of age would be vaccinated through 4,000 volunteers across Nangarhar during the five-day campaign.

Besides polio drops, the children would be given pills for treatment of worm infection, he said.

About children of refugees returning from Pakistan to Nangarhar, he said: “We have opened a permanent camp for refugees at Torkham port, we will also go to refugees’ residential areas to give the polio drops to children.”

Intizar asked tribal elders and people to help vaccinators during the campaign so they faced no problem.

He added 25,000 children in the previous anti-polio campaign had been missed out due to various problems.

“We are also worried about full implementation of the current campaign in Achin, Haska Mina, Nazian and Pacheragam districts due to threats posed by Daesh rebels,” he said.

Children in areas under Daesh control would again be deprived of the vaccine, Intizar said.

Eight positive polio cases have been registered across the country including four in Kunar province that borders Nangarhar.